Band : Skunk Anansie
Album title : Smashes And Trashes
Label : V2
Distributor : V2
Release date : 02/11/2009
Release : CD

“Wanna do this one?” the editor-in-chief asked me while showing me the new Skunk Anansie which they recorded to celebrate their comeback, and I answered, kinda matter-of-fact, “Sure!” I said, while looking at the other 18 albums he’d already passed onto me that day (and thinking of the 20 or so that were still laying around the house, waiting to be reviewed)…I mean, I only hàve every one of this great British band’s three albums see, so whom else would be better placed than myself to give the new SA a quick (hey, do I ever?) checking over!?

I have to say I was rather excited to find the band back together in 2008 after a 7-year absence (during which Skin tried her hand at a slightly less successful solo career), and somewhat eager to find out what the rejuvenated band might’ve produced, as far as new material was concerned. After all, I’ve always been a fan of clean-shaven frontwoman Skin (a “strong woman” which deserved my utter respect if ever there was one) and her band…which went its own way throughout its career, in spite of pressure from the music industry!

During the first listening session I found out that I’d been fooled again! Ya see, although there àre a couple of new tracks on the album, the bulk of it consists of re-recorded versions of the band’s old hits. Thus, off 1995’s debut album Paranoid And Sunburnt (still their best to date in my eyes…), there’s “I Can Dream”, “Weak”, “Selling Jesus”, and semi-ballad “Charity” (…and judging by the majority of songs on this “compilation”, the band feels the same). Off sophomore 1996 album Stoosh, there’s ”Hedonism”, “All I Want”, “Brazen”, and “Twisted”…and off third and last album Post Orgasmic Chill (which was an even weaker album than the second), you get “Secretly”, “Lately”, and “You’ll Follow Me Down”. Incidently, that list of course includes the band’s own favourites “Hedonism”, “Selling Jesus”, “Weak”, “Secretly”, and “Charlie Big Potatoo”. But, as I said, there àre a couple of new songs, and I can say both “Squander” (nice ballad with added orchestral strings)and “Because Of You” (rather “typical” SA)are already taken into my personal list of favourite SA songs. One last track I couldn’t place (at first, but since then I’ve found out it’s simply a third new track) is “Tear The Place Up”, a song with an intensity which I ain’t quite used to from this band...but have found quite fitting nevertheless!

In my personal view (and you’re free to feel differently) Skunk Anansie still hàs a reason for existence in today’s overall more aggressive music scene. For those familiar with the band’s old material, don’t hesitate to check out the new versions (they differ ever so slighly from the originals), which show that Skin (real name Deborah Anne Dyer) and her band are still at the top of their skills. You may already have heard either “Squander” (released as first single) or “Because Of You” (well, I mùst’ve...the track being too familiar to me when I first heard it on this special compilation) on the radio, and I’m sure the third new track will eventually find its way there as well...simply because it’s darn good stuff (as mentioned by  Mark Richardson in the bio : “To be honest we found the songwriting standards in the band have grown in the time we’ve been apart”, or  Skin : “The new songs just seem to emphasize the good things about the band : great lyricss, great playing, and some weirdness thrown in there too”). Incidently, all 10 tracks (including new tracks “Because Of You” and “Squander”) posted at myspace.com/skunkanansie are also on the album, although as the original versions. Wanna listen to 4 new versions (plus new track “Tear The Place Up”) or see some videos, check out what’s posted at skunkanansie.net!

Meanwhile, SA have already undertaken a first European tour (in support of the album’s release) which started in Brussels on October 6 and went on well into November. When the band resumes activities in 2010, they start work on a new album, which should see light of day somewhere mid next year (or rather, that’s thís year when you get to read this article). Waiting with anticipation to get that one into the cd-player! Since this one is a compilation of sorts, I cannot rate it...but have it landing in my year-lists, I can...yes, I càn!!!

Tony.